Lyft and Uber to Continue Service at HNL

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) has announced that Rasier LLC. (Uber) and Lyft Inc. have been authorized to continue pickup service at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) an additional six months beginning March 1, 2018.

HDOT believes the additional transportation option benefits the passengers and traveling public and the increased competition helps raise the overall standards of the ground transportation industry.

“Transportation options are evolving and we don’t want to turn our back on new services that the public uses,” said Jade Butay, Hawai‘i Department of Transportation interim director. “We will use the next six months to further understand how the new services mix with current services and to gather additional performance data.”

HDOT implemented a three-month trial period beginning Dec. 1, 2017 authorizing the two companies access to pick up customers at HNL. During the trial period the companies provided more than 50,000 pick-ups combined from the airport. HDOT has received positive feedback from users regarding the service. Five Lyft/Uber drivers have been cited for attempting to pick up passengers outside of the designated areas.

The extension will be used to work on the permanent decision regarding Transportation Network Companies (TNC) and to proceed with the rule changing process to modernize the rules, which have not been amended since 2002, when TNCs and the technology they use did not exist. The process is expected to take approximately four to six months and will include a public comment period.

During the extension, there will continue to be two designated pickup areas on airport property. Both are located on the second level median curb. One pickup location is at the Interisland Terminal across from Lobby 2 and the other is located at the Overseas Terminal across from Lobby 8. Pick up locations are subject to relocation as construction at the airport proceeds.